2009 Ojai Martin Luther King Jr. Day
The 9th annual Ojai Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community Celebration is coming on Monday, January 19. Press release follows...
The Ojai Valley Youth Foundation is pleased to announce that John R. Hatcher III, President of the Ventura County Chapter of N.A.A.C.P., will be the featured speaker at this year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration. The 9th annual event, free to the public, will be held in Ojai’s downtown Libbey Park on Monday, January 19, from 11 AM to 4 PM.
Special guest performers include San Diego hip hop musician/poet Gill S.O.T.U. and gospel choir Living Sacrifice from Santa Barbara. Top local youth musicians and singers will represent many of the schools in the area. They will be joined by Ojai-based, internationally known singers Perla Batalla and Julie Christensen. Local youth will provide food, booths, artwork and much more. Many Ojai students are participating in a writing contest based on this year’s theme.
The 2009 theme is “The Unity of Humanity: Assert Your Interdependence” which sprang from an idea generated by Dr. King’s speech from 1962, “The Ethical Demands for Integration.” Laura Charles, OVYF Program Manager stated that “Our youth and adult planning committee decided on this theme as they believed it would be important to express working together for a common goal. And no matter what your background, beliefs or opinions are, the common goal is to ensure that humanity thrives working together to promote equality and social justice for all.”
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Mr. Hatcher has been a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement for many years. In addition to his 20 years heading the local N.A.A.C.P. chapter, he has served on the State of California Civil Rights Task Force and the Black American Political Association of California. He is past-president of Southern Area N.A.A.C.P. and Chairman of the five area presidents of N.A.A.C.P. which includes nine states. Now retired from the U. S. Air Force, he served the last two years of his 22 years of service as Superintendent of Social Action for the Air Defense Command.
His many awards include the U.S.A.F. Accommodation Medal, the U.S.A.F. Outstanding Education Award, the Viet Nam Meritorious Service Award, and Citizen of the year Award for the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He continues to work tirelessly for civil rights while pursuing a master’s degree and doing public speaking on Equal Employment Opportunity, Human Relations, and Race Relations.
Gill SOTU will bring his funky blend of positive hip hop and poetry back to Ojai for an encore performance. Originally from Oxnard, now currently residing in San Diego, he was the 2008 Semi-finalist in the National Poetry Slam, 2007 Los Angeles Gang Green Grand Slam Champion, 2006 Ventura County Grand Slam Poetry Champion, and 3 time winner of the Annual Poetry Slam at Borders Bookstore, 2004-2006. He is the former host of “Train of Thought,” a weekly open mic/slam held at various venues around Ventura county.
The 2009 OVYF Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration youth and adult committee members are: Youth -- Emily Cohen, Gus Hoffman (Co-chair), Andria Mendoza, Mackenzie Russell (Co-chair), Matt Russell, Meagan Sanders, and Helen Seligman. Adults – Laura Charles, Kate Hoffman, Lanny and Rondia Kaufer, David Mendoza, Kate Russell, and Carmen Seligman.
Community sponsors for the OVYF 2009 MLK Jr. Celebration Day include Washington Mutual (Chase Bank), the Ojai Valley Board of Realtors and the Ocone Family. For more information on how you can get involved or be a co-sponsor of this annual community-wide event, contact Laura Charles at the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation at laura@ovyf.org or 640-9555.
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